An increasing number of consumer appliances and industrial processes are controlled by micro-computers or micro-processors, many of which receive data input from the user to modify or control the process or appliance.
One of the more commonly used data entry systems for this purpose employs a keyboard and a multi-digit segmentized display. For example, a microwave oven controller employs characters which are entered on the keyboard and appear on a display to represent such factors as current time of day, set point time, cooking duration, heating power level and temperature. In some instances an error message is also available to indicate an invalid input, such as 28:74 o'clock. To still further complicate the matter, there may be one mode for the entry of data and another mode for review of data previously entered. While it is possible, through training, for an operator of a microwave oven, for instance, to master the data entry regimen, particularly if the operator uses the microwave oven daily, other appliances may have data entered less frequently and therefore require a session with an instruction book each time data is to be entered.
One example of such a less frequently used system is found in a lawn sprinkler system controller, in which, starting times, sprinkling area sequence, and duration may be set at the start of a lawn watering season and remain unaltered for several months.
Suffice it to say that the above referred to calculator based data entry systems under current practice may be overly complicated and difficult to learn in certain cases, thereby presenting inconvenience and problems to the user.
The present invention seeks to overcome the above outlined difficulties currently encountered with calculator based data entry systems and is particularly directed to improvements in data entry systems used with micro-computer based controllers and the like.
In brief, this invention employs push-button data entry switches which cooperate with the micro-computer to roll a digital display, similar to setting the time on a digital electronic clock. Each of the push-button switches advances one or two digits of the multiple digit display groupings or pairs. Each digit pair is designed to roll back to a minimum count after reaching a maximum count. The several push buttons are positioned conveniently adjacent an opening in a display panel at which a single display is visible along with an appropriate visual legend for displaying a particular selected program mode. A plurality of such program modes are available and their associated legends are selectively positioned opposite the display window for data entry or review by means of a manually operable mode switch having a movable member carrying a series of mode legends selectively visible at the display window. Movement of the mode switch to present a desired legend at the display window automatically accomplishes several things. It presents the desired register or program mode to be displayed and/or modified by data entry, it restricts data entry to the selected program mode and it limits the minimum and maximum number of roll over counts which may be entered and displayed in accordance with the selected register requirements. As a result of this sytem, it is impossible to enter data into the wrong register and data entry to a selected register is automatically restricted according to its input requirements.
It is a particular object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified data entry system for use with micro-computer or micro-processor based controllers and the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide a data entry system for computer controllers utilizing a minimum number of input switches in conjunction with a multi-position selector switch capable of presenting a plurality of program modes or registers to an input station whereat each mode of the program may be selectively modified to the exclusion of all others.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved data entry system utilizing a minimum number of push-buttons operable with a single or common visual display and means for selectively conditioning a plurality of program registers for data input, modification or review.